You're probably familiar with the concept of the hovercraft, an inflatable craft that glides over land and water on a cushion of air. Now add wings, a sweet yellow and black paint scheme, and a $190,000 price tag and you get the Flying Hovercraft from Hammacher Schlemmer.

The Flying Hovercraft can get up to 20 feet off the ground and hit a top speed around 70 mph thanks to an assist from a 130-hp twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled gas engine. It has both a thrust propeller and a lift fan to help it leapfrog over obstacles like floating logs and lake monsters.

Check out the joystick control. (Click to enlarge.)
Hammacher Schlemmer

The hovercraft can operate over fresh or salt water and can also tackle up to 30 percent inclines over other surfaces like sand, swamps, and snow. You might want to keep one in your garage for those snow days when the streets haven't been cleared.

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Keeping the weight down is a necessity when you're hovering and flying. The hull is made from fiberglass and PVC. The landing skids use a Kevlar composite. The whole crazy thing is controlled with a joystick.

The hovercraft can carry up to 600 pounds of people or cargo and boasts a 160-mile range. Though the hovercraft has some flying skills, it still has to be registered as a boat.

About the author

Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET's Crave blog. When not wallowing in weird gadgets and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
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